Classes without Harry, Hermione and Ron felt like going back to first year. She didn't have any friends, or acquaintances even, in Ravenclaw or the other houses at the time and spent her time alone. Fortunately, years of orphanage had made the tendency to be solitary one of her personality trait.
The day passed without any incident, teachers were pleased with her work, and Slughorn took an interest in her capacities. It was the same with Harry, Ron and Hermione. The defense teacher was clearly attentive toward their little group as they all managed to cast a fully corporeal patronus.
At Hogwarts, news travelled fast, no matter the timeline. They were barely seated for diner when James joyfully called out to Harry."Harry, did you really manage a fully corporeal patronus ? And was it a stag ?"
Harry slightly blushed despite his proud stance when he answered. "Yes, I learned to cast it in my third year, it has always been a stag. You probably didn't understand and remember everything you saw in the memories, but the one with the time-turner showed you my patronus." James' face ached from the stretch of his smile. Sirius leveled his gaze to lock with Harry's, his eyes glinting proudly.
Harry tailored his face blank, hands folded over his mouth and eyes staring straight ahead. No one would find anything, he imagined, of the sickly sensation folding his stomach inside out. Well, Mary being an exception.
Harry shook his head, got up abruptly to his feet, and waved a hand to the others. Mary quietly followed and kindly added "See you later".
The icy feeling of panic swept through Mary as they took the stairs and walked to the second-floor girls' lavatory. The bathroom has not changed; the wooden cubicles are already worn and ill-maintained, and the stone sinks, which form a row under a large cracked and spotted mirror, are chipped. Harry approached the copper tap that has a tiny snake scratched on the side.
They heard sobbing coming from the stalls and Myrtle suddenly appeared next to them.
"I suppose there's always Moaning Myrtle," muttered Harry gloomily.
"What are you doing in my bathroom ?" Came the angry high pitch voice of the ghost. Both decided to completely ignore her, as she would only distract them. Being a lonely ghost and not really liked, they knew the possibilities of her reporting their doings were tiny.
"Do I have to remind you that you lost ?" Asked Mary, trying to sound light and funny but falling miserably from Harry's point of view.
Harry groaned but nevertheless obliged and hissed "open" in parselmouth.
The marked tap glowed and spun briefly before the entire sink dropped down out of sight to expose the large pipe leading to the Chamber of Secrets. They both smiled faintly but didn't comment and jumped into the pipe.
Harry led the way to the inside of the chamber through the maze-like tunnels. They came into a stop when faced with a wall with stone snakes on it, opens it by speaking Parseltongue.
Standing at the end of a long, dimly-lit giant hall. Towering stone pillars, entwined with more serpents, rose to a ceiling lost in darkness, casting long, black shadows. Mary drew her wand and cast a lumos charm to provide them with some light. Having never been in the chamber herself, she was unaware of her environment in the greenish gloom that filled the place. At the far end, she spotted a gigantic Slytherin's statue.
"We have to release the basilisk."
"How do we do that ?"
"Don't know. I suppose we just have to wake him up with parseltongue." As memories from the last time he was in this room flooded, Harry's breath catch in his throat. "I remember what Voldemort said." He looked sheepishly at Mary before clearing his throat. "Speak to me, Slytherin, greatest of the Hogwarts Four!"
The Basilisk swung his giant head in Harry's direction, his eyes shut but his tongue flicking out to sense around him. All he would have to do to kill them stone dead was crack an eyelid.
"Tainted blood" He hissed outraged, his head towards Harry. Of course, it could sense whether students were Pureblood or not. Otherwise, the school's grounds, would just be a place without any students at all once it was released.
Harry's mixed blood clearly displeased the snake. The basilisk let off a low hiss, its great forked tongue tasting the air around Harry with obvious displeasure. It ignored Mary. Was half-blood more shameful than being muggleborn for Salazar and his basilisk ? Were half-blood view as the ultimate treason against their own blood ?
"How dare you, filthy thing, woke me ?" It hissed at Harry, slowly sliding toward them.
"We need something from you. Someone is trying to destroy the wizarding world-" Harry hesitated, trying to calm his beating heart to avoid the basilisk understanding he was stating only half-truths. "A lot of wizards are dying. We need a basilisk's tooth."
"I shall not take order from filth. I shall not aid mud and impurity." That was the only response they got before the snake moved and tried to attack Harry. The snake seemed to be mad beyond reason, shooting its powerful head around trying to strike the area where Harry had been a moment before. Harry, who somehow, had known to roll out of the way just in time.
Mary, who had been strangely ignored all this time by the basilisk, decided to gained his attention. "You can give us the tooth, or we will take it. It won't change much to kill you, now or in ten years." She raged in Parseltongue. The basilisk glided toward her voice, his eyes once again closed.
"Blood traitors." It hissed with anger.
Mary's diversion allowed Harry time to conjure a set of birds. The birds rapidly flew to the basilisk's head and gouged his eyes out.
The beast viciously started to slide again, searching for both of them, using every notice they made to spot them. Harry slipped on a stone, revealing his position to the snake. In panic, he ran to escape the bite making even more noise and preventing him from escaping.
Mary took a deep breath. A basilisk was a dangerous creature, not easily killed, she knew the spell needed to be powerful. She had only used this one against a dummy, but she had been good at it. As she let out the deep breath she took, she tightened her grip on her wand and announced "Deartuo".
She closed her eyes as she felt something warm splash over her. She heard Harry release a surprise cry, followed only a second later by one of disgust. He was covered in blood and some pieces of flesh. "What the hell !?" He exclaimed, looking at Mary surprised. "What is that spell ?"
"Nott taught me. It's a dismemberment spell." She was only partially embarrassed. Yes, the spell was dark magic, and she had used it without difficulty. Nevertheless, it had worked, they were both safe, and they had a tooth. The only shadow in this was the premature death of the basilisk. Perhaps it was not going to matter. Ginny woke the basilisk in her first year because Malfoy gave her a Horcrux. If they succeed and destroy all of Horcrux, there is no reason for the second year's events to happen.
Harry probably had the same silent reasoning and conclusion because his only response was to shake his head and take her hand, moving toward the exit.
Ron and the twins were waiting for them when they reached the bathroom, the Maraudeurs' map in hand.
"Do we want to know how you got the teeth ?" Asked Fred only half amused.
"Who is the little psycho ?" George continued looking at them from head to toe, clearly referencing to the blood on their clothes.
"You should have told us, we would have gone with you. We already agreed with you on the Horcrux's destruction." Yelled Ron. They can see him clench and unclench his jaw forcefully. Harry shut his eyes and exhaled slowly.
"We are sorry, we wanted to be discreet. All of us disappearing at the time would have raised questions." She replied, her voice calm and quiet. They were both exhausted and not ready for a fight.
"Right now, I want a shower and go to bed." Harry added, bringing up a hand to rub at his temple. Still angry, but knowing there was no point in a disagreement since the tooth already was in Harry's hand, Ron left the bathroom without another word. Harry sighed.
"Ron is annoying but that's what makes him a good friend." Smiled Mary as she took Harry's free hand and led them out of the bathroom. The twins in their steps after casting a concealment charm on them.